


A promise is a promise

by Marium



Series: Regan week [3]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst, Death, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, tearful but peaceful, tearful death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 19:15:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11607216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marium/pseuds/Marium
Summary: Rick made a promise to Negan a long time ago, and nothing is gonna change the fact that he has to go through with it, even if it’s the last thing he wants.Regan week, day 4 - Death





	A promise is a promise

_ “Negan, I'm gonna kill you.” _

_ “Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but you're gonna kill me and nothing's gonna change that. I know the lines, baby, rehearsed them a few times already. What's up with that now?” _

_ Rick's soft laugh filled the silence of the almost completely dark room. Negan felt it make the man hooked under his arm shake before Rick turned in his grip, his naked skin brushing against Negan's, hot and soft, until Rick was resting his arms and chin on Negan's chest, wide eyes looking up at his. Negan couldn't help his wide grin as he tilted his head down and brushed his lips against Rick's as his hand traveled up and down the length of the man's back, up and down and up and down, soothing and loving. _

_ “I want you to know that this changes nothing. It won't. Ever. If you're not okay with that, then you should call this off sooner rather than later.” _

_ Negan gave the matter exactly three seconds of his thoughts before shrugging and deciding that flipping around and pinning Rick down was a far more entertaining activity. Rick laughed and squirmed as Negan left kisses all along his neck, light as a butterfly, his whiskers tickling the smaller man and making his laugh louder. _

_ “I can work with that. At this point, it'd be a damn disappointment if I died any other way, anyway. Killed by this handsome devil is a far better way to go than some boring shit like being bitten or old age. Don't worry your pretty little head, you're good.” Negan sucked hard on Rick's collarbone,  _ _ nipping _ _ at the flesh in hopes of leaving yet another mark. Rick gasped, his hands grasped onto Negan's shoulders, and Negan gave a cocky smile when he looked up at him. “Just as a suggestion, how about you milk my dick into dehydration? Always wanted to go out with a bang.” _

_ Negan could feel Rick's love in the way the man rolled his eyes and pressed him to go down, muttering something about Negan putting his mouth to better use. Negan happily complied, and soon Rick's moans were filling his ears. _

  
  


“You know you can say 'no', don't you?”

“No.”

“No as in, 'no, I didn't know', or no as in 'move the fuck away before I rip your balls off'?”

“I'm not gonna rip your balls off, that'd imply touching too much. I will kick them into your body, though.”

Negan was too busy snickering as he looked down in fascination at Rick to be bothered by what the man said. Rick, now cornered between Negan and the wall of the former-armory-now-extended-pantry, crossed his arms and gave Negan his best bitch face. There was no fooling Negan, though; he could see the hint of a smile menacing to get past Rick's lips. Negan smirked and rolled his hips into Rick’s. He had been about to kiss him; he could almost taste Rick’s lips on his own. He licked them hungrily.

“Keep that dirty talk up, Ricky, and you're gonna have me serenading you at night, asking you to let me into your bed. You want me, I can tell, so why the fuck not let us both get some sweet release?”

Negan's eyebrows wriggled up and down as he spoke. Rick snorted and looked aside. Negan grinned ferally: There it was, Rick's smirk. It was ridiculous how much it made Negan's heart flutter.

“I'm sure you understand, Negan. I'm not too big on letting the guy who has been fucking us over suck my dick, hot as he is. Change the arrangement a little bit, and we shall see.”

Rick's half-serious, half-cocky blue eyes were on him, the loveliness completed by the few stray curls that fell over them. Negan felt a disgustingly soft smile tug at his lips. How could he say no to that face?

“Ask and you shall receive, Rick.”

  
  


Negan was positively  basking on the look of utter shock on Rick's face after Negan had spoken his part. The other Alexandrians were shocked, too, but Negan could only see - only cared about - Rick. He felt pride fill him up when a hesitant smile appeared on Rick's tempting lips, short-lived as it was.

“Are you serious?”

“ Tit for fucking tat , Rick. No longer half your shit, only what you feel like giving. Of fucking course, we're only gonna give back what we feel like giving too, so you better offer good shit if you want to get good shit. Perfect barter system, don't you think?”

Rick licked his lips slowly and nodded. Negan wanted to lean forward and press his tongue against Rick's, but managed to stop himself. He watched greedily as Rick considered.

“The other communities, too?”

“Every single of you fuckers. Come along, fellas, limited time offer! Get it now or get it never! Look, Ricky-boy, I know you're gonna have to have boring, long-ass conversations about this before you realize there's no no better option that this. No trap, scout’s honor. You and your merry band can discuss that. Me? I'm gonna go for a stroll, see you around.”

Negan found their usual spot on the armory. He leaned against the wall, crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and soon enough he heard Rick walking in. He smirked and peeked one eye open. His smirk widened when he saw the peaceful look on Rick's face.

“Why did you do it?”

“Well, Ricky, not gonna lie. You and your squad are too fucking  belligerent , it's a kinda pointless waste of time to try and make sure you stay in line. This is better for you, better for the others, and in the long run better for me. Can't have you leading a revolution against me. You would, wouldn't you?”

Rick smiled fondly and crossed his arms, happy wrinkles around his eyes. He allowed a few moments of silence and then made the question Negan was waiting for.

“Nothing to do with me, then?”

Negan chuckled at the cockiness on Rick's voice. The bastard had him pinned down. He made a gesture for Rick to approach, and once he was close enough, Negan started tenderly caressing his cheek as he drew him closer, slow enough to give Rick a chance to pull away. His next words, barely a whisper, were breathed soft and hot over Rick's lips.

“Darling, this is all about you” he muttered before closing the distance. He moaned at the taste and let himself get lost in it.

  
  


Rick was on the couch, lying against Negan's chest. The man's arm was snaked around Rick's torso, holding him close, as Negan tried to work Rick's worry away by leaving kisses on his temple. It didn't work.

“Maggie's still not on board with the idea, she wants you gone. Sasha, Rosita and Eugene too. Tara's pretty chill on it but she doesn't like the arrangement, Michonne’s pretty much the same. Daryl wants to see you dead, and the only reason Carol hasn't tried to talk me into killing you yet is because she's still at the Kingdom. Talking about that, Ezekiel hates you and most of his people want you gone. The Hilltop's the same. It's... Ugh, it's complicated.”

Negan let the silence stretch for ten seconds. He squeezed Rick lovingly, trying to reassure him. He failed again. Negan sighed deeply.

“Well, fuck. Anyone who doesn't hate my guts?”

“Mmmm... Carl doesn't like you at all, but he kind of respects you. Begrudgingly. And, huh...” Rick laughed. “Judith likes when you give her piggyback rides.”

Negan laughed along, letting the tension slip away for almost a whole minute before it came back in full force. He licked his lips nervously, letting his fingers drum absently on Rick's shoulder as he thought.

“It's been six goddamn months since I changed the arrangement and all of them still want me dead. Fucking hell, what the fuck's it gonna fucking take for them to get over it?”

“Quite lot of people have died because of your ‘let’s kill people to get a message across’ policy, Negan, directly or indirectly. Husbands, brothers, sisters, girlfriends, sons. You know what it's gonna take for them to get over it.”

Negan felt an intense uneasiness at the detached, almost cold tone in Rick's voice. He knew for a fact that Rick did it because it was easier for him like that, seeing it as a matter to be analyzed and worked on from outside, but he still didn't like in one bit. He stopped his stroking on Rick's shoulder and pressed his lips against Rick's head.

“And you?” he finally whispered. “What's your position in all of this?”

“You know I don't want you dead, Negan.”

Negan laughed, soft and almost weak. “I know what you want. I'm asking what you're gonna do.”

Rick turned around in his embrace and silently stared into Negan's eyes. Oh, how blue Rick's gaze was, Negan thought, with those perfect curls around it. It was so beautiful, he could almost pretend he didn't remember that conversation they'd had on bed, months ago, that both of them seemingly left behind. Seemingly.

Negan sighed, and accepted Rick's kiss when the man decided the conversation was over.

  
  


The room was dark, almost pitch black if not for the feeble rays of moonlight that filtered through the windows, landing on random spots of the bed and floor. It was quiet. The only sound was the rustling of the sheets, and then Negan's soft gasp as he was suddenly woken up, pale and eyes wide.

He looked down at the source of the pain and found a knife buried in the left side of his stomach, right where his white shirt was starting to turn dark red at an alarming speed. The trembling hands gripping the knife pushed it three inches deeper and Negan gasped again. It was a pained sound, but there was no fear in it.

His relatively calm eyes followed up the hands – that he would have seen were the same dark red as his shirt, had there been more light – through the faint shape of arms, shoulders, and then the face of the man straddling him. Negan could barely see it, but the hot drops that fell on his face told him that Rick was crying.

“I made a promise” were the first words that broke the silence between them. Had Negan not known Rick so well, he'd have missed the shaking under the apparently firm voice. He laughed softly, which proved to be a mistake when less than a second later he grunted in pain. His hands went to pull at Rick's.

“You mind? Barely can speak with this fucker here.”

Rick nodded and with Negan’s hands steadying his own withdrew the knife which fell on the floor. Negan groaned, could feel the blood start to flow out faster, soaking his sides and steadily falling on the mattress under him. Nonetheless, he still grinned when he put his hands – now bloody as well – up to Rick's face and lovingly held it. He brought him down for a kiss that Rick hastily granted. More tears fell on Negan's face as he drank in Rick's hiccups.

“It's alright, darling. You warned me a long time ago and I gave you the go-ahead. It's cool. Pinky promise.”

Rick smiled weakly, shakingly, into Negan’s lips as he peppered them with more and more kisses while he still could.

“I wish I didn’t have to... I wish. But I did. God, Negan, I wish things had gone differently. If I didn’t do it someone else would sooner or later and it’d be worse, and I... I'm sorry, Negan, so sorry.”

“Don't be” Negan huffed, followed by a hiss when a movement pulled at his wound again. He winced and stayed still until the worst had passed. The wound was deep and wide, he was losing blood far too quick, and he could already feel himself go cold. He knew Rick felt it too, if the way his shaking intensified meant anything. “I knew this was coming. Even now, I'm not sorry. I'd rather die by your hand than never get to hold you, you hear me? I fucking love you, Rick.”

“I know” Rick whispered quietly. Yet more tears fell. Negan wondered if Rick intended to dehydrate himself to death faster than Negan could bleed out. “I love you too.”

The last thing Negan knew before he died was that Rick kept clinging to him, kept kissing him. Negan died with a smile on his lips.


End file.
